


Faith and Trust

by SaraQ



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-07
Updated: 2015-05-03
Packaged: 2018-03-21 18:32:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 5,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3702041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaraQ/pseuds/SaraQ
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thanks to the unexpected attack of Somnus, the Spirit of Sleep, the Guardians and all the other good Spirits have been asleep for almost 100 years. When they wake, the world has lost all faith and hope in fairy tales and magic. The world is shrouded in clouds and Somnus, the Spirit of boredom, and Misery, have full power and control the world indirectly. North, Bunny, Sandy and Tooth are ready to concede, but Jack will not give in that easy. He finds the last light, a 17 year old girl named Mira, and together they need to bring back the world’s happiness and light and convince the Guardians to return to their post.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Eternal Sleep

The North wind whistled as it carried Jack across the world. It howled and tiny pinpricks of snow pelted his face. About half an hour ago he had seen the Aurora Borealis spread across the sky. Normally he wouldn’t mind visiting the pole, but this was one time he was annoyed about being interrupted.

Jack had been having a snowball fight with Jamie, and his friends. He didn’t get to play with him very much because school(He had once visited Jamie at school. It hadn't ended well). Jamie was on spring break and Jack had made it snow. He knew that the Easter Kangaroo was going to lecture him later, but it had been worth it.

He arrived at the North Pole and flew in through an open window.

“Ah, there he is” North called to him

“Finally” Bunny muttered. The Guardians were all sitting near a fireplace. Sandy waved to him, and  Tooth greeted him and checked his teeth.

“So, North” Jack said after Tooth was satisfied with her examination “What you calling us here for. The Elves aren’t on strike again, are they”

North scowled and the other’s laughed. For some reason, unknown to anyone but themselves, the elves had decided to go on strike. North hadn’t seen this as much of a problem until he realized that the elves made all of his deserts and food. He also soon found out that the Yeti’s couldn’t cook to save their lives(or their jobs in this case). After several burned trays of cookies, and one exploded kitchen, North had sent the Aurora Borealis to the sky in a panic.

Jack and everyone else had rushed to the Pole, afraid that some major catastrophe had occurred, Pitch was back, and/or belief had gone down drastically. When North had actually explained the problem, Jack had been torn between being annoyed and trying not to laugh. Sandy and Bunny hadn’t made not laughing any easier, because they too were barely holding in chuckles.

Tooth also hadn’t made it any easier, but not because of her amusement. She had been ticked off that North had used the Aurora Borealis for such an unimportant  problem and she spent a good half hour yelling at him. Which was hilarious to watch, until she saw them laughing and started telling him, Bunny and Sandy off.

Jack had actually wanted to use the Aurora Borealis in a prank, but was waiting till everyone forgot about that incident.

“It is for real this time” North insisted “Manny called us all here. Someone is threatening them” He pointed to the globe.

“I don’t see any problems, North” Jack said The globe looked fine to him, there were no drastic drops in the little lights.   

“We were just talking about that, Mate” Bunny said “If you were here on time, you might have known that”

“Yeah,yeah” Jack said “So...what’s the problem?”

“We don’t know Jack” Tooth said anxiously “MIM’s message was vague and like you said, we can’t see any problems”

“It’s not Pitch, is it?”

“Now, why is he always to blame” said an unfamiliar voice disdainfully “Pitch Black and his Nightmares always are getting more attention than me.” All the Guardians besides Jack bolted up.

“Somnus!” North bellowed “Show yourself, you....” After that he started speaking in Russian, which although was a language  Jack couldn’t understand, he was pretty sure it wasn’t anything nice.

“Now that wasn’t very friendly” The voice said disapprovingly “And after all the trouble I went to give you a gift” A  tall man with grey hair and piercing blue eyes  stepped into view.

Jack raised his staff, but Somnus blew silver dust into their faces and Jack coughed. He tried to move forward to attack...but he was just too tired. The floor on the workshop was swaying and he toppled forward and everything went black.


	2. Future Imperfect

Jack awoke, his mind still clouded from sleep. He lay there for a minute, unsure of where he was and how he got there, but he was to tired and was feeling to lazy to get up and check. He tried to at least open his eyes but for some reason they were stuck together

Until of course he heard a sound like a truck or an animal snarling. He jumped up, startled and ready to blast whatever was making that noise, but then realized it was just North snoring. His eyes were stinging, and he realized that they had been stuck together, with a combination of, the yellow eye goop (the stuff people always mistook for Sandy’s Dream sand) and cobwebs.

North’s loud snores broke the silence again and Jack look for the source of the rucas. The rest of the Guardians were sleeping, sprawled in awkward positions on the floor.  They were also covered in cobwebs, and a thick layer of dust. It wasn’t just dust though...it was mixed with a silvery sand. Jack’s brain finally began to work and he remembered.

Emergency Guardian meeting.

MIM’s warning

Somnus’s attack.

Falling asleep.

Problem

 

Jack hurried over to the other’s, sending clouds of dust in to the air, and almost tripping over a sleeping Yeti, who he though was a large pile of dust.

Tooth was already up and wiping her eyes.

“What’s goin’ on” She said confused “I remember Somnus, then falling asleep, but....” She yawed “What happened after that? Why’s everything so dusty?”  

“I dunno” Jack said “I only just woke up. Let’s wake the others” Tooth and Jack tried every method of waking something, from shouting, to dumping Snow on their faces. Bunny, Sandy and North seemed to be insistent on staying asleep.

Just when Jack was ready to give up, Bunny coughed and sat up and soon after North and Sandy got up as well.

North began to walk around the workshop and Jack hurried to keep up with him.

“Hey, North who was that guy, how did he get us to fall asleep”

“That vas Somnus” North said shortly “He is the Spirit of Sleep”

“I thought that was Sandy?”

“Sandy is the Spirit and Guardian of Dreams. He and Pitch can control vhat goes on during Sleep, but Somnus is the master of actual sleep. He is a very dangerous Spirit. He once tried to put the whole world to sleep and nearly suceded. It would seem like he has decided to use the opposite tactic, putting the spirits  to sleep instead.” North stopped abruptly and Jack smacked into him, and fell over.

“No…” North said horrified    

“What! What is it…” Jack trailed off as he found what North was looking at. They had walked into the globe room. Like everywhere else, the room was covered in a thick layer of dust and had an abandoned air about it. North paid no attention to this however. He was looking straight ahead at a very dark globe.

 

 


	3. Defeat and Despair

“What!” Jack yelled. He stared at the globe in disbelief. “This isn’t possible. How…”

“It vould seem” North said heavily “That we have been asleep for a very long time” He sat down on a chair looking devastated.

Bunny, Sandy and Tooth came in. Tooth gasped and clapped her hands to her mouth, and Bunny looked horrified. Sandy had a resigned look on his face though, like he had been expecting this.

“North...” Tooth said in distress “North, how is this possible. How…” There were tears in her eyes and her voice shook.

“We can’t have been asleep for that long, Mate” Bunny said to North. Sandy shook his head and made some golden symbols above his head.

“Sandy is right” North said “Somnus said that he had been preparing a ‘gift’ for us. He must have found a way to increase the power of his sleep sand.”

“Why, though” Jack asked “Why does he hate us so much?”

“For the same reasons that Pitch attacks us” North said “He has no believers,”

“He has even less than Pitch does” Bunny said “Pitch at least has legends and myths about him. They would know his name if they heard it. Somnus...he has nothing”

“As I said he is a very dangerous Spirit.” North said “He decided that if the world won't believe in him, there wasn’t going to be any world”

“He tried to put the would to sleep” Tooth said sadly “We underestimated his power...and nearly paid the price.”

“We barely won” North said “We though that he was gone for good after that”

“So in other words” Jack said “Somnus was a Spirit, ignored by both mortals and Immortals alike.”

“...yes” said North confused

“So, in other words he was like me, before I joined the Guardians” Jack said

“Minus the fact that you didn’t try to destroy the world, Mate” Bunny said

“Well I don’t know, left to myself, who know what I would have done?” Jack said bitterly. “You know, if you guys actually paid attention to the other Spirits, you might not have so many of them trying to destroy the world”

A tense silence followed these words. Jack’s life before becoming a Guardian was very rarely brought up, because it was still very sore subject.

“That doesn’t much matter now, does it Mate” Bunny said quietly “It’s too late”

“What do you mean!” Jack said “You’re not giving up, are you?”

“Jack…” Tooth said softly “Somnus has won. We have no believers”

“But we’re here right” Jack said, his temper rising. “We can still fight!”

“Not if ve don’t have any power” North snapped at him. Jack flinched, startled and North looked apologetic. “Sorry Jack, I just meant that ve….ve have no chance”

“But what about all those kids that are counting on you” Jack said angrily “Are you just going to abandon them!”

“Well, that the thing Mate” Bunny said as the 4 Guardians left the room. “There’s no one left to leave.”

Jack opened his mouth to protest, to yell after them, but no sound came out. He look wildly around the room for anything that might convince them to come back. All he saw though was dust, and silver sand though and the horrible dark globe.

And then he saw it. Down at the bottom of the globe. Could it be? He climbed on top of it and brushed away the many layers of dust to reveal a light. It was flickering slightly, but it was there. He laughed out loud and raised his arms in victory, “Yes!”

He checked the location and grinned. Burgess, Pennsylvania. It was Jamie. It had to be. No matter how old Jamie was, Jack knew he’d always believe in him.

“Hang on, Jamie” Jack told the flickering light. “I’m coming”  He leaped off the Globe and launched himself out the window, heading straight for his home.

 

 


	4. The Last Light

He felt a blast of cold  air hit his face, and then landed face first in the snow. He jumped to his feet, spitting snow, and tried once more to fly.  The wind blew weakly, but did nothing more than ruffle Jack’s hair. Fine. If the stupid North wind, wasn’t going to respond, he would get to Burgess a different way.

He spent the next hour trying to climb back up to the window that he had jumped out on. By the time he finally tumbled back inside he was covered in scrapes and bruises and was majorly ticked off.

He picked himself up, and then immediately ducked behind the globe. A Yeti had just come walking by and with the Guardians new attitude to their problem, he risk getting caught. He walked along the corridors of the North Pole, ducking  and hiding when ever he saw the hulking forms of Yeti’s or heard the telltale ring of bells that announced the elves presents.

After one very stressful near miss with a Yeti, Jack finally made it to his destination: North’s snowglobe room. Jack opened wincing at all the creaks it made and then shut it behind him. He quickly grabbed one.

“Burgess!” He slammed it down and stepped the the swirling portal...and immediately wished he hadn’t. It was muggy and very hot. The sky was covered in thick grey clouds and they seemed to be hanging much lower than usual.  He wiped his already sweaty brow and groaned. He knew the summers in Burgess did get hot, but it was broiling out.

Jack realized that he had no idea where to find Jamie. Heck, he didn’t even know how old he was. He then saw kids-no not kids. They were called teenagers if he was remembering correctly. They were all coming out of a building that Jamie’s mom had once called the High School.

He waited by a lonely bench and watched as all the Teens came out, keeping a sharp eye out for any Jamie look alikes.  Something was wrong though. It took him a minute before he realized it was the noise. Or lack of, in this case. Whenever he stopped to talk to Jamie and his friends after they got out off school, the noise of the elementary  kids was deafening and the few time he had gone over to the High School, the noise was louder if that was possible. Here however, there was only sound of pounding feet and the occasional whisper. All in all, it gave Jack a creepy feeling.

He waited for a while and gave up hope that Jamie was here when the crowd on people disperse to only a few stragglers. Jack was about to leave, when suddenly he was knocked into the bench.

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” A girls voice said “I wasn’t watching-I’m really really sorry. Oh, no my books!” A black haired High School girl was crawling on the concrete removing her fallen books. She stood up and turned to him. “I am really- Are you Jack Frost?”

Wait, this girl was the last light. What? “Where’s Jamie” He blurted out completely confused.

“Jamie..you mean James Bennett” The girl said.

“Yeah! That exactly who. Do you know where he is!”

The girl looked devastated “I’m really really sorry. James Bennett...he’s dead.”

“What” Jack’s head was spinning. Her words kept echoing arounding inside his head. “he’s dead...dead...dead”

“No!” Jack slammed his staff into the ground, feeling the hot tears trace down his face. “No…”

“I’m sorry” squeaked the girl, half terrified, and half in awe at the small thin patch of  snow that Jack had created, “I really am” He felt a small stab of guilt for scaring her, but that was drowned out by his anger at her, because she was the last light and not Jamie, and Jamie was… he was gone.

“How do you know this” He barked at her as she got up from the ground for the second time. “When did he die”

“He died 7 years ago” The girl said timidly “I was there. My name is Mira Bennett. Jamie was my great grandfather.”

 

 


	5. The Book

 

“Wait, what” Jack spluttered. Great grandfather. How long had he and the Guardians been asleep?  

“Umm, yeah. He told me about you and the Guardians”

“He...he did?”

“Yep” Mira said, her eyes shining. “He always told me that you guys would be back. You can fix everything!”

“Fix what” Jack asked urgently “What’s the problem?”

“Not here” Mira said glancing around at the almost deserted street. “I’ll get in trouble. Follow me.” She started walking along the sidewalk, occasionally glancing around, as if to make sure no one was following.

“Where are we going?” Jack asked

“Somewhere were we can’t be overheard” Mira whispered. “People don’t like me talking about this stuff. I’ll tell you why when we get there.”

They walked in silence for a while,  before Jack asked “Where is everybody. Why-” But she shook her head and kept walking. Jack wanted to press the issue, but then realized that she was the only one who could see him and it might look odd for her to appear to be talking to nobody.

They came to the edge of the woods and Mira walked in to them, following a small dirt tail. Jack found that the wind could now at least carry him a few inches off the ground, and so he drifted in the air behind her.

After five minutes the trail opened up into a small clearing. Mira walked in and sat down.

“Sorry” She said “But if they found me talking about it again, especially to someone they can’t see, I might of have it taken away.”

“Taken what away?” Jack asked. She wordlessly pulled something out of her bag and handed it to him. It was a red book, with the title ‘The Guardians of Childhood’ written on it in gold letters. Down at the bottom in smaller gold letter was written ‘ by William Joyce’

“William Joyce?”

“That was Great Grandpa James pen name” Mira explained “He wrote down the stories for Nicole-my mother, but she wanted him to publish it so everyone could read them. He was already ridiculed as an old fool for even telling these stories, so he created a pseudonym.”

Jack opened the book. Inside was the table of contents. It contained 5 books, with titles that made Jack laugh.  Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King, E. Aster Bunnymund and the Warrior Eggs at the Earth's Core, Toothiana: Queen of the Tooth Fairy Armies, The Sandman and the War of Dreams. And the last one, The Guardians Rising: Pitch Black’s return. He flipped the page over but stopped as he saw the dedication.

_To my best friend Jack._

_May this book bring you more believers than you ever thought possible._

He felt tears in his eyes threatening to spill down his face again, so he quickly turned the page and skimmed through the stories. The first 4 were about how the 4 original Guardians defeated Pitch back in the dark ages. The 5th was the Battle with Pitch Black’s Nightmares, and when Jack became a Guardian. At the end of the books there were 5 pages in which there was a drawing of each Guardian.

“Mira” He said after a long while “What happened. What was the problem that you were talking about.”

“Well, part of it’s that you guys disappeared and all.” Mira said “And that nobody believes in you. But the other parts that the world almost doesn’t care about living any more. You saw the streets. Grandpa James said that people used to care about life and they would play and laugh. He also said once they're went clouds blocking the sky and the sun.

“Wait, It’s like this everywhere?” Jack gestured to the sky.

“Well...yeah” She said “But it’s okay. You and the Guardians have come back to fix things right?”

 

“Right?” She repeated, looking at him hopefully. Jack avoided her eyes “Jack?”

“Uhh...How did this happen” He blurted out in an attempted to delay answering the question. “I mean..How long ago did this start.”

“Well, Grandpa James said that the clouds came in not long after your last visit to him. They didn’t clear up and people allover the world were confused and worried... until they weren’t.”

“Sorry?” Jack said

“Well, it’s hard to explain. I don’t really understand it myself. Grandpa said that people used to worry about every single little thing and that clouds that didn’t go away was a very strange thing. But over not long after the clouds, people began not to worry. Grandpa said that people stopped caring about life and he said they, and us today, aren't living...he said we’re surviving.”

Jack smiled faintly “Looks like Jamie became quite the Philosopher.” He gave the book back to Mira. “He never stopped believing?”

“Never” Mira said smiling. It faded into a more thoughtful look and she frowned at the book before looking back up a Jack. “Grandpa never knew what happened though. You guys just...disappeared.”     

“Trust me, it wasn’t on purpose.” Jack said firmly “The Spirit of Sleep-Somnus-put us to sleep for…” He paused. “I dunno how long. What’s the date” Mira told him.

“That’s…” He chuckled

“What” Mira asked confused

“Oh, nothing. It’s just… it’s been exactly 100 years since I played with Jamie in Burgess park. We were having a snowball fight, even though it was a week to Easter and I knew the Easter Kangaroo was going to tell me off…”

“I thought he was a Bunny.” Mira said confused

“He is, I just call him that because...It’s a long story.”

“Oh” She said, still sounding a little confused. “Ok, umm...Why did Somnus put you guys to sleep.”

“Because he doesn't have any believers” Jack said “We think he’s taken on the idea that if he can’t have any believers, none of the Spirits can. He put all the Spirits to sleep to keep-”

“To keep them from doing their jobs” Mira finished “I see. But now you’re all awake so you can make your holidays right? I always loved the sound of Christmas with all the music and decorations. It all sounds so wonderful-”

“Mira?” Jack said tentatively

“-and everything would be all snowy. I’ve always wanted to see snow. Grandpa tried to explain it to me, but I’ve never exactly understood what it was like until today, when you made the snow patch. At least I think it was snow.-”

“Mira”

“-But Easter sounds amazing too. I’d really like to see a painted egg, we really never have anything with bright colors, usually everythings tan or gray. Ooh! It would be in Spring too, and there would be flowers and the grass would be green, that would be really weird-”

“Mira!” Jack said firmly.

She looked over at him. “What?”

“There’s something you need to know” Jack looked down at his feet. “You see...the rest of the Guardians…”

“Yeah” She looked expectant.

“They...They’ve given up. They're not coming back.” 


	6. Quarrels and Schemes

She stared at him, her mouth open in horror. For a few seconds she was frozen like that, and then she started to laugh. It wasn’t a happy laugh, it sounde false and slightly crazy. “Oh, I get it. This is one of your pranks, isn’t it. Grandpa said you loved to play tricks on people.” But as  Jack continued to look solum, the smile faded from her face and she stopped laughing. “You're not kidding, are you.”

“I wish I was” Jack said heavily. “I’m sorry”

“Why!” Her voice was rising, and it no longer had it’s usually bubbly quality. “Why did they give up!”  
“I don’t kn-”

“So they’re just giving up on us!  They’re just leaving the world to Somus, or whatever his name was!” She laughed bitterly. “My Grandpa believed for as long as he lived. He was ridiculed for tried to get others to believe. Almost nobody talks to me or is allowed to talk to me, because I try to restore faith. And the moment that the Guardians are back, they give up because they’ve met a difficulty!”

“Don’t you think I’ve tried” Jack shouted back “You think I just sat back and let them give up. I tried to convince them to come back, and when they didn’t listen I came here to find the last light.”

“Oh, well done. You’ve found me, now what are you gonna to do? There’s only one of you, and the least known Guardian. You don’t have a holiday. What’s your plan?” Mira folded her arms and looked expectant.

Jack glared at her and then looked down at the ground. He was silent for a few minutes, before snapping “Fine, I don’t have a plan” He looked up and glowered at her, daring her to be smug. Instead he saw her face fall, and realised that she had hoped and wanted him to have a solution.

He sighed. “Look, that doesn’t mean that I can’t come up with one. I can go try to talk to the other Guardians again and we could come up with a plan together.”

“Ok” Mira said. “Why don’t you try tonight, and we talk in the morning. I need to get home soon.”

They started walking back down the path “Strict parents?”

“Huh? Oh, no! I just have lots of school work to do. Mom...well she doesn’t really notice when I get home. She hasn’t really kept track of that since Dad…” She trailed off into silence.

“He’s gone?” Jack asked tentatively

“No-well yes, but not in the way you’re thinking. He’s not dead, he just was there one day...and gone the next” Mira’s voice shook.

“I’m sorry” Jack said

“It’s alright...Well, no it’s not alright. I’ve gotten used to it. I just...I wish I knew why he left.” She sounded dangerously close to tears now. There was a silence.

“I grew up without a Dad too.” Jack said finally “He was a sailor, and died at sea when I was five. Mum moved us to the colonies-America, I mean. She wanted to get away from all the memories back home”

“I’m sorry” Mira said. They walked the rest of the way to Mira’s house in silence. When they got to the front door Mira opened it, and Jack turned to leave.

“Wait!” Jack turned back to her, and Mira gave him a hug. “Thank you” She said into his hoodie, and then ran inside.

Jack stared after her, slightly confused, before taking a snow globe portal from inside his hoodie pocket. “The Warren!” He smashed it onto the pavement and walked through.  

 

  
  
  
  


 

 


	7. The Warren

Jack stepped warren, noting that it was dimly lit. He knew the Kangaroo well enough to know that something was wrong; Bunny preferred it to be very well lit and, unfortunately for Jack, very warm. Now the Warren lay in darkness and was cool, almost cold.

It was probably better dark, because from Jack could see, the Warren looked in even worse shape than the North Pole. Every living thing had died, and gave off a distinctive mildew smell. The once colorful river, now moved sluggishly and was black.

“Kangaroo?” No response. He moved closer to the dugout that Bunny called home. “C'mon, I know you’re here” The only answer he got was a chilling silence. He moved forward and almost ran into one of Bunny’s stone egg soldiers. It looked creepy in the darkness; part of it had crumbled away, and it had rotted plant hanging off of it.   “Bunny?” Finally a figure emerged from  the darkness and a weary voice spoke.

“What do you want, Frostbite”

“What do you think!” Jack said, slightly irritated by the lack of motivation from his fellow Guardian.

Bunny sighed “Jack, I don’t know what you hope to accomplish. Somnus has destroyed all belief, and has the world living in despair.”

Jack stared at Bunny. “Not just the world, it seems.” When that failed to illicit a response, he changed tack. “Bunny, he hasn’t destroyed all belief! There’s one last light; A girl named Mira. She-”

“Jack, we’ve seen the light” Bunny said “She is mortal and will eventually die or lose belief. It’s no good”

“Say’s who!”

“Says us” Bunny said, a note of finality in his voice. “North, Sandy, Tooth. We’ve decided that it’s not enough to pursue this fight”

“I see you’ve decided without me.” Jack said bitterly “Is my opinion no longer valid?”

“Mate, it didn’t matter, you would’ve been outvoted anyway.”

“So you all decided to give up” Jack said slowly “Even you. Out of everyone, I thought that you of all people would’ve objected” Bunny raised an eyebrow. Jack sighed “Look, Kangaroo, even though it pains me to say it, you perhaps were the most important Guardian. You were our source of optimism, despite your grumpy attitude. Remember our last fight with Pitch! We would given up when Sandy died, but you kept us going!  You would never have given up as long as there was the smallest bit of hope.” Bunny looked slightly ashamed but turned and started to leave. “What happened to you!”

Bunny looked back at Jack “I was beaten” He Said heavily and continued forward.

“I looked up to you” Jack shouted, his temper flaring. “I always wanted to become the passionate, unyielding fighter that you were. You guys were my family, don’t give up on me!”

His words rang through the silent Warren, but to no avail. Jack stood there waiting, but as no Bunny shaped figure came out of the gloom he turned and left, leaving a trail of frost in his wake      

 

 

  
_______________________________________________________________________  
A/N: There is a reason Bunny and the Other Guardians are acting the way they are, but Jack doesn't know it yet. Enjoy the Chapter and plz Comment and review:)   
  
  
  



	8. Early Morning Plans

Jack hesitated outside of Mira window. Way back when he was friends with Jamie, he would’ve just opened the window and gone right in. However...Mira was a girl his age and he wasn’t sure how to handle this. After a while of trying to figured out how to wake her and talk, without being… rude or bad or whatever, he knocked loudly on the window.

Jack winced as he heard a thump and yelp from inside. Oops. It worked however and a moment later Mira’s window slid open.

“Jack” She hissed “What the heck are you doing? It’s 5:00 in the morning.”

“..Yeah”

“5:00 in the morning!!”

“I talked to the Guardians-”

“Couldn't you have waited to talk at least until the sun had come up”

“ I did wait” Jack said defensively “I-”  
“Wait a little longer” With that she closed the window and pulled the curtains across. Jack stared at the window in shock for a moment.  Jamie had always always ready to play, no matter what time it was. Maybe it was a girl thing.

After waiting a few minutes in Mira’s yard, Jack got bored and decided to explore the rest of Burgess. It had definitely changed since he had seen it and, for the most part, not for the better.

All the fun places like the Arcade and Movie theater and restaurants had been replaced by office buildings and school or just vacant lots. Burgess had expanded too, into the woods surrounding Jacks pond. Speaking of his pond it had been converted into a ice skating rink(Which he was totally cool with) but it looked like had been abandoned along time ago.(Which he was not cool with).

The dim grey light got slightly less dim, and he supposed this was the equivalent of sunrise. He headed back to Mira’s house and saw her slip out of the house, looking nervously around.

“We can’t talk here, I’ll look crazy talking to myself...Well crazier” They once again headed down the path that lead to the clearing.

“Why do they think you're crazy, anyway?” Jack asked

“Well, like I said before, people don’t like me talking about this stuff. Fairytales and magic I mean. They think it’s all nonsense so they think I’m crazy for believing it’s real”

“That sucks”

She laughed bitterly. “Yeah pretty much. They mean well, I suppose. They don’t want their child believing in something that isn’t real and then getting their dreams crushed when they find out the truth.”

Jack frowned “Kids should believe in whomever they want. And we are real”

“They don’t know that” Mira said “And I’m glad you’re real. Means I haven't given up my social life for nothing”

“You gave up your social life?”

“You don’t exactly have friends when everyone thinks you’re crazy” Mira said twirling her finger around her ear when she said ‘crazy’. “Well, I did have my 6 year old cousin as a friend, but I never see her anymore..for the same reasons.”

Jack was horrified. “You’re not allowed to even see your own cousin!”

“Well, my aunt hasn't said that formally.” Mira said “But after I told Taylor about the Tooth fairy, she got really excited and started telling my Aunt Suzan all about her and her mini fairies. After that, I’ve never seen her really”

This news disturbed Jack immensely, but he had a new idea knocking around in his head.

“So you have a 6 year old cousin, who’s a fairy fan” He mused

“..Yes” Mira said confused

Jack grinned at her. “Well, the Guardians won’t be much help I’m sorry to say, but maybe we can spread belief ourselves.” He gestured for Mira sit down as they reached the clearing. “One little kid at a time”   

 

 

  

 

 


End file.
